6.0 Predictions: Will it be Garlemald, Sharlayan, or Meracydia?

[Veloran]

You are somewhat correct. The region known as Ivalice no longer exists on Hydaelyn, but had existed as evidenced by the fact that the Orbonne Monastery resides in present day Golmore Jungle. Which means that the events happened in the history of XIV. We may no longer call it Ivalice, but we have been there and to the Necrohol of Mullonde (Tactics, Vagrant Story), as well as to Rabanastre (FFXII). Jenomis has in his employ a Dramaturge that will recount the tale of the Zodiac Brave Story. While he states the it may not have been actual history, we find out that he was wrong. It is and was always what happened, they are canon. The Ascians are the Zodiac Braves, just as we are. We know they are because we just picked up their memories kept with their stones etched with constellations.

The various games that take place in Ivalice have also taken place in XIV and that is fact. Seeing as how XIV is based on forgotten history and is very much inclined to use older titles to flesh out the stories as was the case with the Crystal Tower raid. This isn't a new story. It never will be a new story. This game is a love letter to fans who stuck with the series through the decades.


Sword in hand, a Warrior clutches stone to breast.
In sword etched he his fading memories.
In stone, his tempered skill.
By sword attested, by stone revealed.
Their tale can now be told.


You clutch the crystal of Azem to your breast and wish upon it with all your might...


So, Fandaniel/Hashmal acting the way he has been is nothing new. He literally wants Zenos to continue killing and creating discord just as his counterpart manipulated the events of the War of the Lions in Tactics. It is all part of a larger plan unseen by a fool who only wants blood and violence. Zenos is the perfect moron to fall for it.

The events of XII and Tactics didn't LITERALLY happen in XIV's world, only a version of them did. For example, XIV's psuedo-Tactics happened thousands of years in the past while Rabanastre is a modern city in Dalmasca, in the XII/Tactics timeline it's precisely the opposite. We don't know how Ultima and the others are related to the Ascians, if at all.

[Riastrad]

The events of XII and Tactics didn't LITERALLY happen in XIV's world, only a version of them did. For example, XIV's psuedo-Tactics happened thousands of years in the past while Rabanastre is a modern city in Dalmasca, in the XII/Tactics timeline it's precisely the opposite. We don't know how Ultima and the others are related to the Ascians, if at all.

Of course it's not meant to be a 1 to 1 retelling of events, but Hashmal and Fandaniel are linked by not only title but by zodiac and constellation as well as how they operate. It's a fact that Hashmal used war to summon the Bloody Angel. It's fact that Fandaniel is fanning the flames of war between Garlemald and Eorzea for an "unknown" purpose. I mean really? Why would he build up Zenos? What would he get out of it? For someone who is overcome with joy once Elididbus died, why would he shackle himself to someone else? He's not a loyal yes man. He's a schemer who just caught his big chance to enact his own plan. Hijacking Zodiark and/or Hydaelyn? Now that's a prize any schemer would love to have.

The geography doesn't add up no matter how hard you try to force the pieces together.

As for the landmasses not looking the same? I'm sure rejoinings do a lot of damage to the face of entire continents. I mean, it's just two worlds melding into one another. Y'shtola even states that we wouldn't be able to find Amaurot in the Source due to all the calamities that have wiped it out. The buildings in the Tempest were nigh on unbreakable by any of our weapons or magics, but their source counter parts are long gone. So mixing and matching bits and pieces of worlds has probably changed entire swaths of landmasses. The third calamity was an earthquake, the sixth was a flood. Do I really need to point out the changes either of those world spanning apocalyptic events could have caused to continents?

Again, this game uses bits and pieces from all of the various FF titles (and a few other Square-Enix's Ips) to flesh out stories. Why would they use the name Fandaniel, who is again linked by so many different pieces of lore and trivia and not also some of the story beats? When does coincidence become something more around here?

We could go on and on about it, and I am thrilled that we probably will, but I simply cannot separate these two characters when in all regards they seem to use the same methods in both games they are in (when they aren't being used as aspects for summoning purposes). Start a war, fan the flames, make a sacrifice and boom. A long shot plan has just become reality.




That which awaited was a fell beast... Ferocious. Ravenous. Remorseless. The beast shall kindle the flames of the apocalypse. Into it's domain shall the hero set forth, for the final chapter in the tale of this star...


It's Garlemald. How could it not be?

[Kesey]

That which awaited was a fell beast... Ferocious. Ravenous. Remorseless. The beast shall kindle the flames of the apocalypse. Into it's domain shall the hero set forth, for the final chapter in the tale of this star...


It's Garlemald. How could it not be?

Right...because Zodiark, a primal that can rewrite the laws of reality, who has been the end game of all Ascians for all of recorded time, whose very existence only has prolonged the apocalypse of the Ancients, whose prison (the moon) haunts every area of this game, can't be the "fell beast" (primal), "ferocious" (he can rewrite the laws of reality!!) "Ravenous" (a huge drain on the aether of the star), Remorseless (his followers are willing do ANYTHING to make him return), and it's domain is technically anywhere on the star (or the remaining shards)....

Nope...must be the empire that is nothing more than a pawn in the big game (sarcasm).

But in all seriousness, I'd like to see the empire someday, but the story could be placed in any location. I'm afraid this quote is referring to Zodiark and we can't glean more useful information from it other than to be foreboding about what is next. We still have no concrete clues about the location of 6.0.

The story beats we can expect are Zenos to help Fandaniel to fight us, and Fandaniel to help Zenos to get the 8th calamity bring back Zodiark. I believe every calamity coincides with a war, so I think we can anticipate the stalemate on the source to go to a "hot" war very quickly.